Australia's strictest gun laws that passed the Western Australian parliament in June 2024 will see thousands of guns removed from the community.
Under the new laws, WA has become the first jurisdiction in Australia to limit how many guns an individual can own and has imposed several new requirements to improve gun monitoring and regulation.
The Firearms Act 2024, passed by parliament on 19 June 2024, mandates compulsory training and regular health checks as well as stricter storage and authorisation requirements for licence holders.
WA premier Roger Cook said "for the first time, Western Australia's firearms laws elevate public safety above the privilege of owning a gun”.
His police minister, Paul Papalia, said the new laws would "make WA a safer place for everyone and will benefit future generations for decades to come".
The WA government further boosted safety measures in response to the brutal shooting murders of Jennifer and Gretl Petelczyc in Perth on 24 May 2024.
The mother and daughter were shot dead by a man using a handgun legally owned under collector licences searching to kill his estranged wife and daughter.
These new measures enable WA police to seize all guns without warrant when domestic violence, or the threat of it, is reported against a gun owner.
This comes after the murderer’s daughter revealed she had warned police several times her father would use one of his many guns to kill her and her mother.
About Gun Control Australia
Gun Control Australia believes in safe communities living without fear of gun violence. As the only organisation in Australia focussed solely on advocating for firearms policy that prioritises public safety, we represent the will of the majority of Australians who support uniform, effective and sensible firearms laws.
Gun ownership is a privilege not a right in Australia.